Popular Topics

of mice and men

"Of Mice and Men" is a play written by John Steinbeck that focuses on life during the mid 1930's. This play has many recurring themes, and one of these themes is that of loneliness. This loneliness is because of the intolerance of society on those who are different. The underlying, yet stunningly obvious, theme of loneliness can be found in many characters with many examples. This loneliness due to isolation and intolerance is found in the characters of Candy, because he is old and useless; Crooks, because he is black and crippled; and Curley's wife, because she is a beautiful woman and the only girl on and all guy ranch. The first character which has the theme of loneliness wrapped around him is Candy. Candy is an old man who is missing his right hand. According to his description in the play, Candy is "A stoop-shouldered old man, dressing in blue jeans and a denim coat...his right hand is gone at the wrist" (p. 4). His handicap happened on the farm "[Candy] lost [his] hand r!
ight here on the ranch. That's why they didn't can [him]." (p. 14). Candy owns a dog. The other men on the ranch cannot stand the sight or smell of Candy's dog. When Candy is confronted by Carlson "Gosh that dog stinks. Get him outa here, Candy?You got to get him outa here." (p. 11) he has no way to defend himself. In the end of this confrontation, Candy ends up being forced to let his dog be killed by Carlson "I'll put the old devil outa his misery right now and get it over with. There ain't nothing' left for him" (p. 12) Candy lets Carlson kill his dog because he feels pressured into it. There is nobody that will come to his aid and tell Carlson to not kill the old mutt. Another example that Candy is isolated from the other men is apparent because we are always given the impression that Candy is left behind. When the men go into town to the cathouse, Candy is left behind, along with Curley's Wife and Crooks. Another example of Candy's isolation is when the men...